A letter from a local church and another from the sheriff’s department met that requirement.

And after more than four trips to the DMV over the past month and a half, Myers finally got the one thing that could help get him off the streets: his California ID card.

Swalwell said, “If it’s something as simple as helping them just to get them back on their feet by getting them an ID so they can get some state or government, federal benefits, then it’s the least we can be doing as law enforcement officers.”

But both men said they gained even more from their interaction.

Myers said, “We both realized at the same time that there is a real person there and not just the stereotype we saw when we first met each other.”

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Department said it’s now trying to work with local lawmakers and the DMV to help streamline the process for the homeless to get an ID card.

Gordan Michael Myers says now that he has an ID, he can finally get a job and an apartment.